ten things you probably don't know about me...

well, considering i've only been doing this blog thing for a couple of weeks, most anyone who happens to read it probably won't know anything about me! but just for fun, and following in the footsteps of grumperina and others, here is my list of ten knitterly things you probably don't know about me.

1. i've been knitting for nearly three years now - my now-husband, then boyfriend, bought me a learn-to-knit kit from urban outfitters for christmas in 2003, at my request. it came with hot pink metal needles and some awful hot pink and yellow acrylic yarn. i spent that christmas morning being taught the basics by his mom.

2. my first completed project was a book mark, which i still keep in my first knitting book.

3. my longest-running unfinished project was a scarf commissioned by my mom. i was living in london in early 2004 and she came to visit, and knowing i had just started to knit, she brought three balls of this really fluffy, stringy yarn. it was like string with fluff sticking off of it. she asked for a 'wide scarf,' and i got to work. talk about tedious! not only did i cast on for a VERY wide scarf, making each row painfully long, but this yarn was impossible to knit with, and ugly as well. did i mention it was very expensive? so i couldn't scrap it...i had to persevere. i finally, finally finished it last fall. i don't think my mom even likes it, but wears it because i spent so long on it.

4. the first time i felt like i was actually becoming a pretty good knitter was two winters ago, when i made my first pair of mittens. in my mind, mittens were a hard project, an advanced project, and the fact that i could actually make them pleased me to no end. i even made cute little felted appliqués to sew on the fronts, of little birds. :) i still wear them, though they are getting a little worse for wear. i will replace them this year for sure.

5. so far i have taught three other people how to knit, though i don't think any of them still do it.

6. my knitting goal for winter 2006 is to learn to do color work - i am intimidated by the idea of keeping track of all those strands of yarn! but i think i'm up to the challenge.

7. the only think i am scared to attempt at this point is a sweater...i don't doubt my skills, i just know i have a short attention span and a low boredom threshold, as well as, shall we say, an ample bosom, that is usually not flattered by sweaters. that being said, i am more than halfway done with orangina and am confident that i will complete it. anything more advanced or tedious in construction though seems unlikely at this point.

8. i am a creative person by nature, and have several other hobbies and crafts that i am interested in (embroidery, sewing, print making), but knitting is the one thing that i always have going, and always come back to it. i know i will knit for the rest of my life.

9. i think the clapotis i knitted this spring is my favorite item that i've made for myself so far. it's so big and cozy and versatile, and to a non-knitter it looks very difficult, so i get tons of compliments on it, which i love. :)

10. i am loving that i finally started a knitting blog, though it will reveal to the whole world what a slow-poke knitter i am. i never thought anyone besides the few knitters i already know would read it, but i've already had comments and emails from other people, and it makes me feel good! even though i live in a pretty big city, i don't know many knitters here, so it's nice to have a place to get excited about the yarn i just bought, or to find inspiration from others by reading their blogs.

the end!